The Taiwan authorities have denounced this Tuesday an “escalation of tensions” in the strait after China’s “harassment” maneuvers against merchant ships, in what it considers “expansionism” to try to project power in the area.
“Chinese Coast Guard and Maritime Police vessels are harassing merchant ships in Taiwan’s Exclusive Economic Zone to make it appear that China is exercising its jurisdiction,” denounced the secretary general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, Joseph Wu, in a message on social media.
This Taiwanese leader, former Foreign Minister, has described the incident as Chinese “expansionism” that “represents a serious escalation of regional tension.”
“We call on all merchant vessels in the area to ignore radio calls from the Chinese Coast Guard,” he stressed.
Tensions are rising in the region after Beijing has announced a “maritime law enforcement operation” in waters east of Taiwan in response to the opening of talks between Japan and the Philippines, which agreed to open negotiations for maritime delimitations, within the framework of the long territorial dispute that involves several countries in the region.
In this regard, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has insisted that China has an exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf in the waters east of the island of Taiwan, criticizing that Japan and the Philippines’ move to circumvent China “seriously violates international law – including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea – and the basic norms of international relations.”
“They have seriously violated China’s maritime rights and interests. China will not allow this under any circumstances,” the Chinese spokesperson warned.
Beijing considers the operation a “necessary move” in response to the talks announced by Japan and the Philippines on the “maritime delimitation” of their so-called Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and their continental shelves.